The City Of Love

Paris was a dream. Literally. I’ve dreamed about going to Paris since I was a little girl. And the minute I decided that fashion was a career I wanted to pursue, the itch for me to go grew substantially. When we decided on Paris for our fall trip I was ecstatic. And Paris lived up to all of my dreams. From the sparkling Eiffel Tower to the hustle bustle of the city to the well dressed Parisians on every corner, I was in heaven. I love everything about the city and it might be my favorite place I’ve ever traveled to. The city is unlike any other. The language, the people, the sights, everything is perfect.

Home Away From Home

We stayed at the coolest airbnb. It was more of the hipster Paris vibe than the traditional victorian Paris vibe which I thought was awesome. The airbnb had 4 levels. Gym at the bottom level, kitchen and living room on the second level, 2 bedrooms on the 3rd floor, and 3 bedrooms on the 4th. It was perfect, but the stairs were a little tedious. Especially with how much luggage we had. It was in a super cool area too with a bunch of traditional French cafes and little shops all around it. Highly recommend staying there or around that area, it was super lively and fun. Linking the cute airbnb here. Be careful when choosing an airbnb though, I noticed in my search multiple listings with the same sets of photos and different addresses. Make sure you triple check the reviews for wherever you decide to stay.

The girls we were with stayed at the Plaza Athenee and let me tell you, if you have the chance to, stay there. The hotel is gorgeous and a super nice place to stay. The concierge, room service, and overall vibe of the hotel was stunning. Talk about luxury. The views of the Eiffel Tower from the balconies were also to die for.

I did love staying in an airbnb though and am so glad I stayed there over the hotel just because for my first time in Paris I really did want to experience living like a true Parisian. And our airbnb totally helped me live out my best Parisian life.

The Eats

We did a lot more eating out this trip than last trip. The Parisian cafe’s and fancy restaurants definitely enticed us. We had a Parisian breakfast almost everyday : a croissant and an espresso. Which was amazing. Every single little cafe we went to had the best pastries and the strongest espresso’s I’ve ever had. Lunch and dinners were reserved and mostly at French restaurants. As you could tell with the airbnb situation, I love immersing myself in the French culture, so all I wanted to do was experience the French food. With the exception of Pink Mamma of course. Pink Mamma was exactly what everyone said it would be, epic. The food was to die for, the decor was gorgeous, and the photo opps there were endless. Pink Mamma lives up to all the hype, definitely a must see when you’re in Paris. Cafe De l’Homme was amazing as well. The food was so good and the view is unlike anything you’ve ever seen. It has a stunning Eiffel Tower view that you won’t get anywhere else (at least without all the tourists in the background). The service and food was so good too. Apres was a restaurant we went to that was unlike any other. To enter you pass through two security guards and through a garden, literally like you’re in a totally different world. You enter through two doors that open up to this swanky hipster style restaurant with a long bar + plants everywhere. They even have an ice bar that we definitely went in for a nightcap. We put on some cute parkas and braved the negative degree room filled with ice for our nightcaps in cute little copper mugs. It was so awesome. Highly recommend! These were my top three restaurants, but all the restaurants we went to were amazing and all listed below.

All The Fun

Eiffel Tower

Go to the photo spots early in the morning if you don’t want people in the background. I’m talking sunrise early. My favorite spots were Trocadero, the tower carousel, and the Rue de l’Universite. All three make for awesome photos. The carousel was definitely my top fave spot though because it’s such a different shot than just the standard tower in the background. We also found a couple of super cool photo spots just walking around the tower. Definitely make reservations to go up the tower as well. Tip : Buy the tickets beforehand so you can skip the line and make sure you get the elevator all the way to the top, you definitely don’t want to take the stairs! The view from up top is stunning and you can see the entire city of Paris. I also learned that the Eiffel Tower is stunning at all different times of the day. If you go during the day, you have to come back at night to watch it sparkle. Starting at 8pm it sparkles for 5 minutes every half hour. Let me tell you it is gorgeous, like honestly the most stunning thing I’ve ever seen!

Arc De Triomphe

Another amazing thing to see in Paris. The Arc De Triomphe is absolutely beautiful. What I think is even more crazy is how quick everyone drives around the Arc De Triomphe. It is literally insane! There’s cars going in a million different directions. Which makes snapping a good photo pretty rough. You just have to time it absolutely perfect for little to no cars in the background. AKA snap a million damn pictures before you get one. I wasn’t able to get one without any cars in the background but I got pretty close. Tip : Stop on the outskirts of the Arc to snap your photos, don’t go into the center for a better view.

Palace of Versailles

So I’m going to be honest, I’m not the biggest touristy gal. I’m not a big fan of doing historical stuff on my travels, as vain as that sounds, I just want to be out adventuring and experiencing the culture. But this. This Palace took my fucking breath away. It was SO stunning. Everything was so ornate and detailed and everything was freakin’ gold. Which I love. From the gardens to the intricate rooms to even the gate entering into the palace, every single element was amazing. If you could only visit one landmark on your trip to Paris (besides the Eiffel Tower, of course) it would be this one. It is so worth it.

Sunset Cruise on the Seine

Remember what I emphasized in the Turks and Caicos travel guide? Boat day is the best day. And this doesn’t change on a fall trip versus a summer trip. When I was planning this trip I knew we had to have another boat day. So I researched and found a bunch of private boats doing cruises along the Seine right in the middle of Paris, which is beyond perfect. I decided on a sunset dinner cruise because you got to see all the landmarks light up at night and I’m so glad I did. Cruising through the river and watching the Eiffel Tower sparkle was magical. Without a doubt such a fun night and it was so cool to see everything from a totally different perspective.

The Itinerary

Day 1

Land in Paris
Welcome dinner at Cafe De l’Homme overlooking Eiffel Tower

Day 2

Breakfast at local Paris cafe
Eiffel Tower Tour
Eiffel Tower Photo Spots
Sunset Cruise on the Seine
Day 3
Brunch at Laduree
Arc De Triomphe
Shopping at Champs Elysses
Dinner at Apres
Day 4
Day at the Palace of Versailles
Dinner at La Verriere
Day 5
Breakfast at local Paris cafe
Louvre Museum
Lunch at Pink Mamma
Moulin Rouge
Day 6
Breakfast at local Paris cafe
Head to Champagne, France
Champagne House Tour
Lunch at Champagne House
Tasting at Champagne Vineyard
Head back to Paris
Dinner at Le Train Bleu
Day 7
Travel day home

Tips + Tricks

Have lunch at Pink Mamma. If you are not a large group like we were you will have to wait as they rarely take reservations. Get there right when they open to get first dibs on a table. If you can get a table on the top floor that is the best place! The food is delicious, the atmosphere is amazing, and the photo opportunities are the best.
Avoid talking to anyone in largely populated or touristy areas. There are a ton of different types of gypsies in these areas that prey on tourists. There are some that try to sell you things and put it on you and make you pay for it or there are some that try to make you take a survey while another person pick pockets you. Be very vigilant and avoid talking to anyone in these areas.
Eat all the croissants + try the escargot. When i travel I love doing all the cultural things and croissants and escargot are a must. I tried the escargot at a cute little cafe we went to for lunch and they were to die for. If you don’t know what escargot is, it’s a french dish involving snails and butter. Sounds weird but I had to try it and I loved it.
Always ask first if someone speaks english, do not automatically assume. The french do not take kindly to people assuming they know english and just going off on a tangent. It is polite to ask first and then proceed if they say yes. I’ve seen a lot of French get very frustrated and refuse to help people who just automatically start talking to them in English. Learn the phrase : “Parlez vous anglais” and it will be super helpful!
Many places are small. I had a pretty hard time trying to find restaurants to accommodate such a large group so keep in mind if you are traveling with a large group of people. Ensure you are talking to the restaurant in advance and make reservations. Some places can get very overwhelmed and refuse service if you don’t make reservations or warn them about your party. Paris was designed small and therefore is easy to migrate if you are in a smaller group versus a larger group.
Buy the bag (or shoes, dress, jewelry, etc.) The exchange rate from the Dollar to the Euro is the lowest it’s been in years and not only that, show the shop your passport for you to get a VAT receipt. You then head to customs in the Paris airport and get your VAT refund on your purchase. It then puts your purchase substantially cheaper than what you would pay in the United States. Plus, the selection of designer everything in Paris is super abundant.

Hope this helps if you are planning a trip to Paris. If you have any questions, leave a comment below and I’ll answer it! You can check out all my highlights from the trip on my Paris highlight on my instagram.

Cheers babes! xx